December 3, 2023

Review: Order Of The Spirits: Initiation

Taylor Ridley

3.8 Stars

A partial origin story for Fragments, Initiation covers how the members of the Elite trained under the guidance of the Spirits and the Order, how they operate as a team, and sets up most of their paths going forward. It then opens the stage for a war with the Rhagg and introduces a new antagonist which I’ll get to in a second.

For those of you reading Initiation before Fragments, here are the basics: Our two main characters are Wolf the vigilante and Nemo the dual sword master, members of the Elite. The Elite also consists of Alex the gunslinger, Irea the portal master, Lothar the tank, Sarah the mage, Jane the shield-maiden, Nabrick the craftsman, and Gable the master craftsman. Trained by spirits from another world called Under Realm, a plane laced in magic — or at least, alternate physics and rules — the Elites are elevated as the protectors of the Realm; though in Wolf’s case, he favors the protection of Earth at any given opportunity.

Portals link the two worlds, necessitating them being constantly guarded to prevent supernatural creatures like the Rhagg (humanoid wolves), Sodrai (vampires), demons, and other malicious entities from seeping into the world and causing the downfall of mankind. The Order and the Spirits work in tandem to keep this balance intact, but it’s a constant war to survive.

To the surprise of no one who’s already read Fragments, Initiation starts with Wolf joining the team and then promptly noping out of being a soldier to be ordered about, choosing to serve Earth with his abilities more so than Under Realm — though that doesn’t mean he abandons the Order outright, just that he’s… unreliable. His home city of Krus is a mess and a half with several crimelords running amok, sending him down a solo vigilante crime fighting spree that continues into the events of Fragments. He spends much of this book trying to solve the murder of Aleksandra’s father, Ivan, and getting caught up in one web of villainy after the next in the process.

Nemo, the second main character, focuses his time on protecting Under Realm. Though, he does almost get himself dipped in magma at one point while trying to find the magic swords he trained with in the Dream, and those same swords — although helpful — have a dark nature to them that will undoubtedly grow worse as time goes on. Never, ever trust sentient blades that eat souls.

While Wolf focuses most of his efforts on Krus, the rest of the Elite are sent across the territory of the Order far from Ontengan’s walls to deal with a rising threat of Rhagg that blooms into an all-out war. Along the way, the depth of some of the characters is given a little more love, and a few new ones are introduced. Nabrick definitely took the spotlight among the secondary characters in this book, quickly claiming his place as 3rd best member of the Elite. He’s a skittish genius of a kid who’s somehow both very insecure and very independent at the same time, and he adds a great balance to the dynamics of the team.

Alex, Nick, Irea, and Sarah get some more time to grow their personalities — Irea coming the furthest the fastest in terms of her story and core motivations — though to be honest they’re all still lacking their spark moments that make characters like Wolf, Nemo, and Nabrick shine, though they’re probably close to hitting them soon. I’m still not sure how I feel about Gable, but that will be cured by more time spent with him.

Jane and Lothar are the two that suffer from fading into the background, and to be frank, I sometimes forget Jane is even there. Lothar at least stands out as the tank of the team, but Jane is defined more by what she isn’t than by what she is at this point. “The female teammate that’s not Sarah and not Irea”. She does have one good character moment talking with Wolf early in the book, but aside from that, she and Lothar lurk in the peripheries more like tertiary characters than secondary ones.

Part of this is because Order Of The Spirits is a more action-focused series in general than a series that’s deeply and constantly involved with each character, so it does at least partially come down to genre. That said, I’d love to see some more time dedicated to these two in the future so that they feel like integral parts of the Elite and less like shadows that follow the team.

Ifcarus however, the antagonist of this book, does shine through nice and clear, and though his scenes are few and far between, he’s already shaping up to be an excellent contrast to the Elite as he leads the Rhagg and Sodrai into open warfare with the Order. I’d say more about him, but no matter what I’d choose to spill would be major spoilers, so I’ll save that for the long rant after this mostly spoiler-free section.

Oh, and for those who might be wondering, this book is kind of the first chronologically speaking, but both Initiation and Fragments can be read independently of each other. Unlike Fragments however, Initiation is much more linear in nature; but don’t worry, the interludes are still here, they’re just packaged into compact sections, making for a much cleaner story progression that’s more novel-like in style rather than a collection of shorter stories.

All in all, there are some really good scenes scattered between chapters and there’s always something to be pieced together from all the little threads sprinkled throughout the world-building, lore, and dialog. The lore is obviously quite expansive, and it’s going to take several books to get a handle on, which is exactly my cup of tea.

Favorite Scene:

Pg. 510

“There are two ways to stop a Rhagg… Kill them, or destroy them.”

Definitely not spoiling that scene for those who haven’t read it, but for those who have, you know what that was. Best character moment of the series so far bar none. That side of Wolf’s character is what makes him my favorite of the entire lot. It also added a meta layer to his alias, which is the cherry on top.

I had a lot of fun with Initiation, and look forward to Nightmares!

Ogh devon, ogh ahgis!

Long Version (+Spoilers):

Notes:

> Something seems to be living in the space between the portals? [Oh my gosh I just realized I could photograph the page and have my phone copy the text from the photo. I’m about to start quoting books in long reviews so much more now.]

I don’t want to leave. I’m terrified. I used to travel between the worlds regularly, so ignorant and blissful. I sensed its presence even then, though I never knew of its nature. How could I have known?
– Ifcarus, pg. 553

THE RIFTS RESPONDED to Nemo’s urges with volatile protests. They robbed him of the usual wonder he got from teleporting and replaced the sensation with struggle. What had before always been a condensed and smooth journey for Nemo now seemingly stretched out indefinitely.
He closed his eyes to escape the unstable flashes and the burning colors of the rift, but the action didn’t stop his mind from perceiving it all. Just get us to the Seal! Nemo tried to grasp that elusive power that connected the two worlds, but he was still new to it. He realized then, as the rifts rejected him, that he knew little to nothing. Whatever made the travel between the worlds possible, it responded to something much greater than he. He was a speck of dust compared to the powers involved. But that didn’t stop him from trying.
Ontengan needs us. He held on to Sarah and refused to submit to the wave pushing them back where they last were in Under Realm. He knew it was possible to succeed, and that was enough to convince him he had a fighting chance. Besides, there was another wave in the rifts, a weaker one, but it aligned with his wishes. Reaching for it, Nemo gave it what strength he could, and miraculously, sensed the tide shift.
Torn between two influences fighting for control, Nemos mind flared. He would’ve screamed if his body could respond to the pain, but somewhere along the way he’d lost his mortal senses. Panic ensued as he found himself outside the physical plane. Where’s Sarah? He tried to open his eyes, but nothing changed.
All that surrounded his being were the rifts ripping realities apart. Afraid and lost, he remembered the spirits and wondered if he would join them again, this time for eternity.
“Nemo.” A distant voice passed him, echoing into nothingness. It was familiar, and old. He didn’t know why, but Nemo imagined it had been stuck inside the rifts for years. “Run,” it finished.
Pg. 484 – 485

No thanks, I would not want to use portals that temporarily expose me to Cthulhu. It’s probably remnants of the Great Shadow or something along those lines, which sucks for everyone since portals can have a mind of their own and throw people wherever they want. Or, in Nemo’s case, torture people by getting them stuck or refusing to take them where they want to go. It could effectively cut the link between Earth and Under Realm if whatever that was gets too powerful.

> There’s a high likelihood that either the Sodrai or demons (or whatever is living in the portals. Not sure if that and demons are necessarily the same thing) can communicate via dreams. There are several mentions of members of the team having bad dreams, and though this could be brushed off as them being under high stress as teenagers on a battlefield, it’s much more likely that it’s malicious in origin. The best example of this is when the scholar is instructed to do things in her dreams, which winds up with her trying to kill Nemo while trying to take the Soulshadow swords. The Sodrai specifically want those swords, so maybe it’s them entering dreams, or maybe they have a side pact with demons to do that for them.

> I suspected that the quips at the beginning of each chapter were from Ifcarus, but given that they were all scrambled up and tailored to fit the POV of the chapter, I couldn’t quite tell if they were his or if they were entries from the future from Wolf and Nemo talking about their past. I was going to string them all together, or order entries by even and odd chapter number, or read them by POV, or order them backward, or sort them alphabetically and all this nonsense to figure out what it was supposed to say as a whole, but then Ifcarus sent the letter and did all the hard work for me lol.

> On a personal note, one of the reasons the concept of the Order appeals to me is because I’m somebody who has a lot of very hyperrealistic lucid dreams, so the space of The Dream definitely relates to some of the whacky things I’ve seen and experienced in sleep, especially when I was a kid. I would’ve loved the idea of the dream realm being real (well, you know, excluding the lucid nightmare bits), and I still love that idea now.

Questions Answered:

> How Wolf got the title “Spirit Of The Wolf” circulated in the press was addressed here, and it was also done in such a way that you know for a fact this kid’s love fate is sealed forever. Most of his plot centers on attaining Despot as his personal journalist resource, which I’m sure will be coming into play multiple times in the books to come.

> How Wolf found his secret base, and why most people didn’t know about it. This is probably the most iffy aspect of the entire series in terms of suspension of disbelief since it seems like keeping it secret after the events that took place would be all but impossible, but you know what? I’m here for it. Giant underground military base lost to time for the win.

> How the Order stays secret. There’s an entire division called the Cleaners that more or less makes things and people disappear when needed. This must be a huge department, but the Order is a very large organization, so it’s possible. Not to mention that those from Earth who are introduced to Under Realm are often chosen by the Spirits, which likely cuts way down on would-be tattletales within the ranks. However, there’s also an order called the Whispers, which is a whole different thing that makes one think of the Witchers. They hunt supernatural creatures on Earth, so that does complicate things a bit.

> Wolf’s got it worse than I thought for Aleksandra, which is adorable because he’s basically never even talked to her. Aw. Otherwise, there isn’t much time on her character specifically, so her personality is still up in the air.

It was good to have a more complete picture of who Wolf really is, giving more depth and reason for his attitude and absence from the events of Under Realm. He does dip into way more energy manipulation in this book though, giving him a kind of extra spiritual edge to him than the others on the team.

Off-topic, I’m adding this because it fits his character:

> Nemo definitely has a deterioration arc in his future. Should’ve called it in the last review, but didn’t. I mean, come on. Sentient swords that eat souls? That’s always an evil red flag. Ifcarus also alludes to his future tailspin, again likely because of those swords. Nemo is already afraid that he’ll end up with Alzheimer’s, and if the title “Nightmares” is any hint, he’ll probably struggle more and more trying to define reality from illusion as the swords in combo with demons or whatever it is in his dreams making things worse and worse.

Nemo’s love interest is Sarah, but he’s a lot less… hmm, “dedicated” than Wolf is about it. Nemo’s entire personality is always all over the place, partially because of his childhood, and he really seems to have difficulty with knowing his own emotions in this regard. Slow moments that force him to reflect low-key freak him out, contrasting sharply with Wolf’s ability to sit and meditate for hours and hours at a time and feed off the energy of the universe. First it’s Ann, then from time to time maybe Jane, and then there’s Eolin out of nowhere, but most of the focus is on Sarah.

If it’s not obvious, I’m a music hoarder, and I have a habit of linking songs to characters. Usually it’s for my own, but sometimes I find one that fits one that’s not mine.

> Surprise, Alex is actually far colder than Wolf. Letting your girlfriend believe you died alone in a foreign country? Jeez dude, that’s low. No wonder you’re so sour about Wolf coming and going between both lives. Even Wolf can’t turn loose of Aleksandra, and he doesn’t really even know her. You, on the other hand, were like “K, love you, bye” and then faked your own death. Dang. You’re not my favorite secondary character anymore lol.

> Irea got some love in this book, and there’s a clearer picture of her backstory and personality now. She also kind of fills in the role of “alien”, not knowing squat about Earth or normal Earth things. Music on Nemo’s phone, jokes, and “conventions” all go over her head as a born and bred… Underling? Realmnian? What are you supposed to call people from Under Realm? …Uh, child of Under Realm. She doesn’t know about Earth stuff.

She seems to be an orphan, likely made so after a battle in which her mother died. She was raised by Zin and Zum, and no, I don’t remember which twin is the sister and which is the brother. It was good to have another one of the Elite’s motives made at least a little clearer, because although they all want to protect Under Realm and Earth, their specific character motivations are very slow to come to light.

> Nick was in and out of frame throughout this story. More time was focused on his family — specifically his father, a member of the Golden Hands — than on him. He’s kind of a central force in the group because of his telepathy, but at the same time, his personality has yet to really crystalize as Wolf’s, Nemo’s, and Nabrick’s have.

> I’m not sure how he’s managed it, but Nabrick has more depth than Irea, Sarah, and Alex combined at this point, and his character feels textured and solid by comparison. He had a lot of one-on-one time with Wolf while inventing a variety of gadgets for him, and that’s probably what made him come through the “new character” fog so quickly.

> Ifcarus is about to be a sick anti-villain, and though not made obvious, most of this book seems to actually be about him (the man on the cover might be Ifcarus, though he usually wears a blindfold because he is in fact blind, so maybe not). It’s at least as focused on introducing him as it is on the Elite, setting up their shared themes and conflicting paths. There aren’t many scenes with him, but what you do get to see is a former spirit-trained soldier of the Order that’s both been through the wringer and has somehow gained clairvoyance to an extent as well as some kind of spirit sight into the space between the realms.

He seems to be able to see the link people have to the shards, pointing further to there being something very wrong or very vulnerable with the portal system everyone relies upon.

Either way, he’s more cunning than the Rhagg and Sodrai are giving him credit for, and is using them to root out what he perceives to be corruption within the Order by any means necessary. He takes the “accept sacrifice” line often repeated by members of the Elite all the way, sacrificing innocents to the Rhagg just to build a large enough army to go toe to toe with Ontengan’s forces.

His goal is much larger than simply hurting the people of Ontengan, though, and his sights are set on whatever darkness he’s seen in the future. He specifically doesn’t challenge Nemo when they cross paths near the end of the book because he wants Nemo to do all the good he’s foreseen him doing before his predicted deterioration.

“He’ll be their demonslayer first. He’ll do some good before he succumbs to the Darkness.”

There’s also a pretty good chance that he is a member of the former Elite. That’s speculation on my part, but the vibes are present.

What makes this anti-villain so good is that he’s probably right — unless his clairvoyance is fundamentally flawed in nature and controlled by the very Darkness he’s trying to fight — and it will be difficult to both fight him and agree with him as the Elite are exposed to his perspective.

Chapter Recap:

Initiation almost all takes place in the give or take 150/200 days just before the events of Fragments, so chronologically speaking, Initiation is kind of the first book of the series more so than Fragments is. Although, Fragments has sections that are thousands of years in the past, which would then technically make it the earliest in the chronology, so… depends on how you want to look at it. This series is not designed to have a clear-cut first book.

Unlike Fragments though, this one is far more linear; but I don’t care, I went through and quick-recapped Fragment’s chapters and you better believe I’m going to do it again.

Prologue – A blind dude chooses team Jacob.

The Change (June 15th) – One hell of a lucid dream / cast review.

The Point Of Estrangement – Living dual realities is hard.

The Team – Doing good is punishable by interrogation / Alex doesn’t like lone wolves.

The Rifts – Wolf debates career choices / Irea teaches an impulsive child how to warp between planets. It goes exactly as you would expect (directly into a volcano).

Energy Manipulation – Sentient portals are in the mood for fire sacrifices.

Footsteps In The Ash – Idiots with fire / Don’t drink vials of ancient liquid.

Fire And Brimstone – Nemo goes accessory shopping. Oh and there’s evil swords that eat souls.

A Stone Well – Wolf being grumpy and background on Nick.

A Plea – Background on Nemo + Sneaky Sodren.

Underneath – Sneaky Sodren pt.2.

The Old Saying – Nemo relates lore.

Abandoned – Wolf swears an oath & goes full vigilante.

Unfortunate – Wolf decides to miss his graduation.

True Identities – Everyone choosing their own mantel.

Breath – Ogh devon, ogh ahgis!

Mirna – The actual worst illness to have when your son gains the use of magic.

Irea – Her mother is important.

Alex – And people say Wolf is cold.

Gable – Secret project.

Ifcarus – War planning.

Sound Of Stone – First group outing.

A Broken World – Wolf chats with teammates.

People Of Lebinar – Beginning of a war.

Years – +1 teammate gained + Nemo has a hard time with slow moments that force him to dwell on life.

The Missing Scout – The Western Wall and super magnets.

Messengers – Malicious entities screwing with dreams again + Irea slaps Wolf.

Whispers – Monsters somehow wind up on Earth + Nemo finds his guitar teacher.

Distraught – Wolf saves Nemo’s mom.

Overshadowed – First strike of the Ghouls / Wolf is absolutely whipped for this chick.

Chosen Burden – Nabrick would have Elon Musk running for his money with the speed at which he invents things + the Elites beat the ever-loving crap out of tons of ghouls.

Everyone Else’s Reality – Cleaning up battlefields + hospital visit.

Dim And Far Away – Long journey ahead + Wolf’s last moments in the dream.

Tomorrow – Orphans on the outskirts / Slimeheads and lore.

Vibrations – Nemo plays guitar / Nabrick having twice the IQ of Tesla.

The Matter Of Choice – Military politics / Wolf becomes spiderman.

Despot – Despot knows Ivan + his wife got blown up.

Irea – Was housed by twins.

Sarah – Sarah, princess of the Fire Nation.

Nabrick – The order recruits all sorts, even without the Dream. Hint to there eventually being a sort of team scribe added to the lot so that each Elite’s deeds are remembered in detail?

Ifcarus – Anti-villian vibes intensify.

Enemy’s Territory – Hunting a crimelord / Being sneaky.

Constant Movement – Ambush on the hill.

A Simple Conversation – Wolf becomes a ghost + interrogation.

Promised Power – The Bears.

Broken And Scattered – Military bunkers under Krus / Nemo goes solo.

Temptations – Nemo can’t kill helpless Rhagg / Freedom Fighters are a joke.

Disorientation – War is traumatizing / Wolf survives on nothing but the frequency of the universe.

Within Reach – Buried alive / free beer and new horses.

The Edge – Wolf is actually just an energy bender + Obren’s demise.

Worst Suspicions – Despot gets kidnapped.

The Fall – Wolf becomes Magneto + well that’s a unique way to die.